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Method and apparatus for fuel regulation

a fuel regulator and fuel circuit technology, applied in the direction of electric control, combustion engines, machines/engines, etc., can solve the problems of reducing ignition performance, unable to allow any back, and controlling how much fluid is added to the pilot fuel circui

Active Publication Date: 2018-02-06
WESTPORT FUEL SYST CANADA INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes an improved method for regulating fuel during non-motoring operating modes of an internal combustion engine. The method involves using a fuel regulator that employs a first fuel to regulate pressure of a second fuel. The first fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber through a first fuel circuit and is either injected into the chamber or drained from the circuit through a fuel injector. The injection command signal can activate the fuel injector or the second fuel injector. The method can also involve monitoring the pressure of the first and second fuels and adjusting the pulse width of the injection command signal accordingly. The apparatus includes a fuel regulator, a fuel injector, and sensors to monitor the fuel pressure. The technical effects of the patent include improved fuel regulation during non-motoring operating modes and improved engine performance.

Problems solved by technology

Pilot pumping apparatus 150 can only control how much fluid is added to the pilot fuel circuit and does not allow any back flow.
Fuel injector 110 may fail to inject the pilot fuel or the main fuel, or both fuels, and if fuel is injected reduced ignition performance can occur.
The contamination of drain circuit 210 with main fuel results in an increase in unburned hydrocarbon emissions when the main fuel is a gaseous fuel.
Previous common rail injection systems had the disadvantage of the high fuel pressure remaining in the system for a long time after the engine was shut down, which made maintenance and repair work on the fuel injection system quite dangerous.

Method used

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  • Method and apparatus for fuel regulation
  • Method and apparatus for fuel regulation

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first embodiment

[0027]Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown main fuelling command 300 and pilot fuelling command 310 employed to create injection command signals for fuel injector 110 (seen in FIG. 1). Before time T1, engine 100 is in a motoring operating mode where main fuelling command 300 has a value of FCM1 and pilot fuelling command has a value of FCP1, such that both the main and pilot fuels are injected and combusted in the combustion chambers of engine 100. After time T1, engine 100 enters a non-motoring operating mode where main fuelling command 300 reduces to zero, but pilot fuelling command 310 decreases to value FCP2, such that no fuel is injected into the combustion chambers of engine 100. Pilot fuelling command value FCP2 is below a predetermined maximum value that results in no movement of the pilot needle.

[0028]Referring to FIG. 6, each pilot fuelling command value has an associated pilot injection command signal (sent through wire 240), which is an electrical signal that can be repr...

second embodiment

[0030]Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown main fuelling command 300 and pilot fuelling command 310 employed to create main and pilot injection command signals for fuel injector 110 (seen in FIG. 1). This embodiment is similar to the previous embodiment and like parts have like reference numerals and will not be described in detail, if at all. In addition to pilot fuelling command value FCP2 during the non-motoring operating mode after time T1, or alternatively, main fuelling command 300 can have value FCM2 to actuate fuel injector 110 to drain pilot fuel to supply tank 220. Referring to FIG. 8, each main fuelling command value has an associated main injection command signal (sent through wire 230), which is an electrical signal that can be represented as a square wave having a main pulse width MPW. For the main needle to move away from the main valve seat, the pressure in the main control chamber decreases below the main threshold. The main actuator is actuated by a main inject...

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Abstract

A method for fuel regulation during a non-motoring operating mode of an internal combustion engine is provided. A fuel regulator employs a first fuel to regulate pressure of a second fuel. The first fuel is communicated to the fuel regulator through a first fuel circuit. The method comprises actuating a fuel injector that introduces the first fuel and the second fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine during the non-motoring operating mode. The fuel injector is actuated with an injection command signal having a pulse width below a predetermined maximum value whereby no fuel is injected into the combustion chamber and the first fuel drains from the first fuel circuit through the fuel injector to a supply tank.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present application relates to a technique of operating a fuel regulator that employs a first fuel to regulate a second fuel, and more specifically for preventing hydraulic lock in a first fuel rail preventing correct operation of the fuel regulator.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Referring to FIG. 1, a pilot fuel can be employed in Diesel-cycle internal combustion engine 100 to ignite a main fuel when the main fuel has a high octane number making it difficult to auto-ignite. Pilot fuel is introduced into combustion chambers (not shown) where it auto-ignites because of the pressure and temperature environment, and the subsequent combustion of pilot fuel creates an environment that is suitable to ignite the main fuel. Fuel injectors that introduce both the pilot and main fuels into the combustion chambers, such as fuel injector 110, can employ the pilot fuel in fluid seals (not shown) for sealing the main fuel inside the injector body, for example whe...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): F02D41/00F02D19/10F02D19/06F02D41/30F02D41/22F02D41/38F02D41/12F02D19/08F02D41/40
CPCF02D41/0027F02D19/0623F02D19/0665F02D19/0678F02D19/0681F02D19/0684F02D19/0694F02D19/08F02D19/10F02D41/0025F02D41/123F02D41/221F02D41/30F02D41/3872F02D19/0605Y02T10/36F02D41/3047F02D41/402F02D2041/224F02D2041/3881Y02T10/30
Inventor TOUCHETTE, ALAINWALKER, JAMES D.HAAS, JORDAN
Owner WESTPORT FUEL SYST CANADA INC